Banished
by furubafan74
Summary: Zukaang, Aanko Genderbended Aang.  Aang has been missing for seven years, ever since taking away Ozai's bending.  Can she find her way home? No ship bashing please. 3 maybe 4 parts.
1. Chapter 1

"I am Aang. I am the last Airbender. I am the Avatar. I defeated Fire Lord Ozai. I love a Firebender named Zuko and he loves me. I am Aang. I am the last Airbender. I am the Avatar. I defeated Fire Lord Ozai. I love a Firebender named Zuko and he loves me. I am Aang. I am the last Airbender. I am the Avatar. I defeated Fire Lord Ozai. I love a Firebender named Zuko and he loves me." Aang repeated the words repeatedly to herself. They were the only things that kept her sane as she trudged through this frozen wasteland.

Avatar Roku had told her that there was a way to defeat Fire Lord Ozai, to end the war, without killing him. She could take away his bending…but she would have to pay a price. If she took away Ozai's bending she wouldn't be able to see Zuko for seven years. She'd thought that meant she would be blind for seven years, or something. If she had known she'd have to wander alone in this frozen hell for seven years, she would have just killed the bastard. She would have felt guilty, probably would have had nightmares…but she would be with Zuko. With her friends. She wouldn't have just _vanished_. The last thing she remembered before she woke up freezing cold in a snow bank was blue light shooting towards the sky. The blue light that took Ozai's bending away from him. The same damn blue light that dropped her in a frozen desert.

How long had she been wandering? She had no idea. She was taller. And her hair was longer. How much longer, she had no idea. It was one big matted tangle. Her breasts had developed from almost nonexistent bumps to being full and round. Her waist had gotten much smaller, too. She knew that meant she was at least a teenager, so it had at least been a few years. She hoped it had been close to seven. That meant she could go home soon.

She had made a parka like Katara's out of whatever animals she could catch. That and her firebending were the only reasons she was still alive. Well, that and the fact that she'd eaten the animals she'd caught. It had taken a little trial and error. Figuring out when the meat was cooked enough that she wouldn't get sick when she ate it, how to treat the hides so they didn't smell, attract huge white creatures like Bosco, or rot. The meat had still made her feel a little sick at first.

The only bright spot of her exile was the spirits. It was harder to get them to talk to her than the ones back home were, but it was better than nothing. She'd learned to avoid the one the others called the 'Windigo', though. That one was dangerous. Her firebending had saved her life then, too.

"Osulf! Kig der I sneen! Er det en person?" ("Osulf! Look there in the snow! Is that a person?" Danish) She lifted her head slowly. The spirits she'd encountered spoke a language that she could understand. She hadn't understood a word of what that man had said. He also didn't sound like any of the spirits she'd talked to.

"Du kan have ret, Haldor. Hej! Hvad bringer dig hele vejen herop?" (You might be right, Haldor. Hello! What brings you all the way up here?") Aang stared at where the voices were coming from. It was a huge ship, even bigger than the Fire Nation prison ship she had helped Katara rescue Haru from. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed it! She ran lightly over so that she was closer to the ship. People! Finally!

"My name's Aang! I'm lost. Can you help me?" The two figures on deck looked at each other.

"Forstod du et enkelt ord, hun sagde bare, Osulf?" ("Did you understand a single word she just said, Osulf?")

"Nej, hun lyder som om hun har brug for hjaelp, selv om." (No. She sounds like she needs help, though.")

"Unge dame! Bo lige der! Vi vil ned for at hjaelpe dig i et minut." ("Young lady! Stay right there! We'll be down to help you in a minute.") Both figures vanished from the railing. Were they going to leave here there?

"Wait! You can't just leave me here!" She backed up a few steps. It had been a long time since she jumped that high. And she had never tried in a parka. She made it, though. Both men stared at her in shock.

"Vidste du det? Hun sprang naestan halvtreds meter lige op! Hvad nu hvis hun ikke er menneskelige, Haldor? Hvad gjorde vi bare lod med vores skib?" ("Did you see that? She jumped almost fifty straight up! What is not human, Haldor? What did we just let on our ship?")

"Naturligvis er hun menneske! Hvad ellers ville hun vaere?" (Of course she's human! What else would she be?") The first man sounded scared. Maybe just jumping onto the ship wasn't the best idea in the world. She'd heard the second man call him 'Haldor' several times. Maybe that was his name. It was worth a shot.

"Haldor? I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to." He shrieked. 'Spirits,' Aang thought, 'he shrieks even shriller than Sokka!"

"Den kender mit navn! Det skal vaere en slags daemon!" ("It knows my name! It must be some sort of demon!") He pulled a strange object from under his coat. A deafening noise erupted from it, along with a bright flash of light. Pain slammed through her, radiating out from her stomach. Aang fell to her knees, confused. Where was the blood coming from? He hadn't touched her, and there wasn't any arrow. Now the second man looked horrified. He grabbed the strange thing from the first man's hands.

"Din idiot! Du skudt hende! Det vil vaere okay, unge dame. Jeg henter hjaelp. Haldor! Hent laegen! Nu!" (You idiot! You shot her! It will be alright, young lady. I'll get you help. Haldor! Fetch the doctor! Now!") Her vision was going dark around the edges now.

"Zuko…Zuko…"

"Hold ud, unge dame. Hjaelpen er naesten her. Hvad er 'Zuko'?" (Hold on, young lady. Help is almost here. What is 'Zuko'?") Aang tried to answer, but she couldn't muster the strength.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been seven years since he had seen his beloved. Six years, eleven months, and twenty-eight days, to be exact. He hadn't seen her since she vanished two days before the comet. The only way they knew anything about what had happened to Aang was his father. He said that after she had taken away his bending, she had just…disappeared. The bastard had been briefly blinded by the light, and when it was gone, so was Aang. He had had soldiers searching every last inch of the world for any trace of her. Nothing. He had finally given up the search a year ago. He was still offering a reward for her safe return, though.

Zuko sighed and leaned back in his chair. He used his firebending to form the image of the laughing, happy one hundred and twelve year old girl he remembered. She would be almost a hundred and twenty, now. Her birthday was in a few months. He stared at the flames flickering in the palm of his hand. Spirits, he missed her.

"Fire Lord Zuko?" Zuko closed his hand, banishing the image of the lovely Avatar. "I am sorry to disturb you, my Lord. The Sun Warrior Chief has sent you a message." The Sun Warrior Chief? Zuko hadn't heard from him since he and Aang had visited them to learn the secret to Firebending.

"What is the message?" The servant ushered a Sun Warrior into the room. Zuko bowed respectfully. The warrior nodded back.

"The Masters say that you are to be in the Chamber of the Sunstone in fourdays. There you will find that which you seek." That which he sought? Aang! But…how could she be there?

"Thank you. I will be there," Zuko promised. The Sun Warrior nodded.

"I will pass the message onto them, Fire Lord Zuko." When the Sun Warrior had left Zuko sat in stunned silence. In four days he would have his Aang back. Those four days couldn't pass quickly enough for him.

"Uncle! I received news from the Masters. I'm supposed to go there in four days and I'll find Aang."

"That is wonderful news, my nephew." Uncle didn't seem very enthused.

"What's wrong, Uncle?"

"Nothing is wrong, my nephew."

"You don't seem very happy that I'll have Aang back in four days."

"Of course I'm happy, my nephew. I'm just worried that this will turn out to be another false lead, that you'll be hurt again." Uncle had a point. There had been people who claimed to have seen Aang, to actually have her staying with them in an effort to claim the reward. He had always gone personally to investigate-he wanted to see her again as soon as possible-and he'd always been disappointed. But this time was different. He could feel it.

"Will you take care of things here? Tell the others when they arrive that I've taken Appa, and that I'll be back soon." The rest of their little group would be arriving over the next day or so. It was almost the anniversary of Aang's disappearance. Most of the world was celebrating the end of the war. The dawning of peace. The fact that the Avatar had vanished had become little more than a footnote in most people's minds. The only ones who seemed to care the greatest hero of the war was missing were the ones who had met her.

"It is not that long of a journey to the city of the Sun Warriors, Zuko. Surely you can wait a day and greet your friends yourself?" Zuko sighed.

"Why must you always make such a good point?" he grumbled.

"Because I'm your uncle."

"Sparky? Is that you?"

"What, your feet stop working Toph? Of course that's Zuko!" He smiled at Toph and Sokka's good natured bickering. "OK, you might have a point. Who are you and what have you done with the Fire Lord?"

"What are you talking about, Sokka? I _am _the Fire Lord!"

"You are not. Zuko hasn't smiled in years. Not since Aang vanished." Great Spirits. Had it really been that long?

"He's telling the truth, Snoozles. That or the imposter is an excellent liar."

"So, why are so happy? Don't tell me you've moved on from Aang!" Sokka's blue eyes narrowed slightly at him. "Oh, Spirits. You're not dating Mai again, are you?"

"When I finally have a promising lead on Aang's whereabouts? One that most likely isn't just an attempt to claim the reward? Have you lost little brains you had?"

"Seriously? Where does this lead say she is?"

"The Masters sent a Sun Warrior to tell me to be in the Chamber of the Sunstone in four days. That I'll find Aang then."

"Is that where you and Aang learned that dance of yours?"

"It's a Firebending form, not a dance."

"Sparky! It's a dance and you know it. The sooner you admit it, the better off you'll be. Did the Masters mention why you couldn't just go there and find her seven years ago?"

"No."

"I hope she's there, Sparky. I honestly don't think you could handle it if she wasn't."

"I don't think I could, either, Toph."

Three days later, Zuko was in the Sun Warriors' city, sitting across from the Chief. The man had assured Zuko that Aang would be there later that day. That Zuko would know what to do to bring her home. The chief escorted him to the Chamber of the Sunstone and helped open the door.

"I can marry you two, if you want."

"What?" Zuko was caught completely off guard.

"I can perform the ceremony. She won't be a child anymore, Fire Lord. Anymore than you're a teenager." Zuko blushed. He was tempted, of course. How could he not be? He wanted to marry Aang. He'd wanted to marry her for years. Somehow he'd forgotten that she would be all grown up now.

"My uncle and my mother would both kill me if I got married without them being there." The Chief laughed.

"It's almost time, Fire Lord. Bring your brave Avatar home. She can't come back without you."

"Why not?"

"You're her soul mate, Zuko. And besides, she can't dance the Dragon Dance alone, can she?" He made an excellent point. Zuko nodded and stepped into the Chamber. He remembered the last time they'd been here. Aang had been twelve. He'd still been mooning over Mai, and he couldn't bend. Aang had tackled him, insisted that he dance with her. He didn't know if he'd fallen in love with her then, or if it was some other point during their field trip. Over the years of their separation, he'd narrowed down when he'd fallen in love with her to this field trip. This place. It made sense, really. That he'd have to come back to where he'd first fallen for his soul mate to get her back.

Still smiling from the memories stirred up by being here, Zuko assumed the first stance of the Dragon Dance.


	3. Chapter 3

Osulf stared down at the slender young woman in the bed. He still couldn't believe that superstitious idiot had actually shot the poor thing. Dr. Wu said she'd be fine, though. The surgery to remove the bullet had gone without a hitch, and she seemed to be starting to wake up. She was mumbling something under her breath. It sounded like the same thing repeatedly. He had caught the word 'Zuko' several times now. That was what she'd said just before blacking out.

"Dr. Wu? Hun er begyndt at komme til. Kan du regne ud, hvad hun siger?" ("Dr. Wu? She is starting to come to. Can you figure out what's she's saying?")

"Det lyder som 'om jeg er Aang. Jeg er den sidste Airbender. Jeg er Avatar. Jeg besejrede brand herre Ozai. Jeg elsker en Firebender opkaldt Zuko og han elsker mig. Det er ikke helt kinesisk, men det ligner. Jeg har ignen ide om hvad nogle af ordene er, selv om." ("It sounds like 'I am Aang. I am the last Airbender. I am the Avatar. I defeated Fire Lord Ozai. I love a Firebender named Zuko and he loves me.' It's not quite Chinese, but it's similar. I have no idea what some of the words are, though.")

"Derfor 'Zuko' er et navn?" ("So 'Zuko' is a name?")

"Tilsyneladende." ("Apparently.") The girl stopped mumbling and her eyes fluttered open slowly. They were a lovely stormy grey.

"Aang? Jeg er Osulf, og dette er Dr. Wu." (Aang? I am Osulf, and this is Dr. Wu.") Aang stared up at the two men standing over her in confusion. Who were they? Where was she? It was warm, wherever she was. Why did her stomach hurt so badly? Memories suddenly flooded through her. Seeing the ship, jumping on board, the man with that strange weapon…Aang jerked bolt upright. Knives of pain shot through her stomach.

"No, stay down, Aang. You must rest." She stared at the man who had just spoken. She'd understood him!

"You can speak my language?"

"Yes. I'm Dr. Wu. This is my shipmate, Osulf. The man who shot you is named Haldor. I'll introduce you to the rest of the crew when you've recovered."

"When will that be?"

"A few days, maybe a week or two. How long were you wandering in the snow?"

"I have no idea. I was twelve when I…got lost." Dr. Wu and Osulf exchanged startled glances.

"You're at least sixteen now. How could you possibly have survived alone in the Artic for four years?" Four years? That was it? She'd have to wait another three years before she could see Zuko again?

"Oh! I used my Firebending to keep warm. It kept the Windigo away, too. It also helped me cook my food. Sometimes I used my Waterbending to help catch my food."

"What exactly is 'Firebending', Aang? And 'Waterbending'?" Aang called a fire into her palm.

"That's firebending." She closed her hand then used her Waterbending to float the water out of the glass by her bed. "This is Waterbending." She wished that she could heal like Katara could. Then she could just heal her stomach. "Waterbending can heal, too. I don't have that ability though."

"Har du nogensinde set noget lignende, Dr. Wu? Hvordan tror du, hun gjorde det? Haldor kunne vaere rigtigt. Hun kunne ikke vaere menneskelige." ("Have you ever seen anything like that, Dr. Wu? How do you think she did it? Haldor could be right. She might not be human.") He sounded scared, the way Haldor had before he shot her.

"Hun er menneske. Jeg tror, hun har simpelthen usaedvanlige evner. Maaske en form for telekinese." (She's human. I think she simply has unusual abilities. Perhaps some form of telekinesis.")

"Are you going to shoot me?"

"Hun spurgte, om du vil skyde hende." ("She asked if you're going to shoot her.")

"Fortael hende, naturligvis ikke. Jeg mente ikke at skraemme hende." ("Tell her of course not. I didn't mean to scare her.")

"Osulf isn't going to shoot you, Aang. He says he's sorry he scared you, he didn't mean to." Aang nodded. Her eyes were starting to droop. "We'll let you rest now, Aang." They left, and sleep claimed Aang quickly.

"Aang? Aang! Wake up, Aang." She opened her eyes slowly. "The humans are wrong, Aang. You were wandering around longer than four years. Your seven years of banishment are almost over." She smiled. "I would have told you sooner, but one or more of the humans was always hanging around. You have about two days left. I wish I could stay longer, but all this iron is wearing at my essence. I don't think I'll get to see you again, so this is goodbye. From everyone."

"Tell everyone goodbye for me. Since I'm not going to see you again, will you at least tell me what you are?"

"I'm an Adlet." She had never heard of an Adlet before. She decided to ask Dr. Wu. The Adlet had vanished as soon as he told her what he was. Looking around her, she saw a pile of clothing on the chair beside her bed. There was also a hairbrush. She might as well get some of the tangles out her hair.

Several hours later, she finally had them all out. She was ravenously hungry by this point as well. She decided to go find Dr. Wu and find out when she could have something to eat. The clothes on the chair were far too big for her, but they were better than nothing, so she put them on anyway. After braiding her hair, she set off in search of Dr. Wu.

'This ship was not designed by somebody with a firm grasp of logic,' Aang thought grouchily. She had seen a couple people, but none of them were Dr. Wu. They also all just looked at her blankly when she tried to ask if she'd seen him. Apparently, Dr. Wu was the only one on this stupid ship who actually understood her. Wonderful. She pushed open yet another door and froze in shock. Inside were the statues from the room where she'd danced with Zuko! They were out of order, but they were definitely the same statues. Or at least exact replicas.

"Ung dame! Du kan ikke vaere derinde. Kom ud nu." (Young lady! You can't be in there. Come out now.")

"Aang! There you are. I was getting worried. Mine undskyldninger, kaptajn. Hun skulle bo i infirmeriet og hvile efter sin operation." (My apologies, Captain. She was supposed to stay in the infirmary and rest after her surgery.")

"I'm hungry. I was trying to find you."

"I'm sorry, Aang. Come with me, I'll get you something to eat." Aang didn't like the way the other man was looking at her. "This is Captain Flemming, Aang."

"I don't like the way he's looking at me." It was almost…speculative. Appraising. The only person she wanted looking at her that way was Zuko.

"Hvad siger hun?" ("What is she saying?")

"Intet, kaptajn. Hun er bare at klage over at vaere sulten." ("Nothing, Captain. She's just complaining about being hungry.") As soon as they were out of earshot of the captain, Dr. Wu leaned down to confide in her. "I don't like the way he was looking at you either, Aang. It would be best if you stayed in the infirmary."

"What's an adlet?" Dr. Wu blinked at her abrupt change of subject.

"I have no idea. Haldor might know. I'll ask him and get back to you. Is there anything specific you like to eat? I can't make any promises, but I'll try to get it for you."

"Vegetables. I like vegetables." Dr. Wu laughed.

"That is the first time I've ever heard a teenager say that. I can definitely get you vegetables though. Lots of vegetables."

"Good. It's been awhile since I've had any."

"Ak godt. Du fandt hende. Jeg var begyndt at tro, at hun havde forladt skibet fuldstaendig." ("Oh, good. You found her. I was beginning to think she had left the ship completely.")

"Hun var nede i lastrum udkig efter mig." ("She was down in the cargo bay looking for me.") "Wait here, Aang. I'll bring your vegetables in a few minutes." When she was alone again, Aang began planning how to get back to those statues. Something deep inside her whispered that those statues were her key back home. And the adlet had said that she would be able to go home in less than two days. She was pretty sure she remembered how to get back there. There was plenty of room, so using her Earthbending to put them in the correct order would be easy. Dr. Wu returned with her vegetables. "Haldor was busy so I couldn't ask him what an adlet is. But I'll find out later. How are your vegetables?"

"Good! A little salty, but I'm not complaining."

Later that night, when the ship was completely silent except for the occasional echoing snore, Aang slipped out of the infirmary. She crept down the hall looking for the cargo bay. She didn't remember the way as well as she thought she did, and she got lost several times. She finally found the room again. Rearranging the statues took almost an hour. She had to keep stopping to rest whenever her stomach started to hurt. When she had the statues in the correct positions, she headed back to the infirmary. If she was right in her estimates of how much time had passed, she couldn't go home until the next day. She might as well get some rest, and some more vegetables.

"Good morning, Aang. I found out what an adlet is for you."

"What is it?"

"An adlet is a monster in Native American mythology. They were bloodsuckers. Where did you hear that term?" A monster? Her friend was a monster. He'd certainly never tried to suck her bread. In fact, a lot of nights he had sat nearby and guarded her as she slept.

"Um, somewhere." She didn't want to tell him that she could see and hear spirits. "How many days has it been since I woke up?"

"About one. Why? Are you in such a rush to leave? Captain Flemming didn't bother you last night did he?"

"No. I was just curious."

Aang waited impatiently for night to fall and the ship to fall silent so she could return to the statues. So she could go home. When all was finally quiet, she headed back to the room with the statues. She assumed the first stance of the Dancing Dragon, smiling as she remembered when she had talked Zuko into dancing with her. She had had a crush on him since she'd met him at the Southern Water Tribe. It had taken quite a blow after Ba Sing Se, though it had rushed back bigger then ever after he saved them from Combustion Man. After their field trip, her feelings had quickly developed into full-blown love. And now she was so close to seeing him again.

A/N: I don't know what was going on before, why the quotation marks weren't showing up. Hopefully they will now.


	4. Chapter 4

The Sun Warrior Chief watched the young Fire Lord assume the first stance of the Dancing Dragon. A moment later a figure made of flames materialized on the opposite side, in the exact same stance. He sucked in a breath, realizing that this must be the Avatar. It was working.

Osulf couldn't sleep. He decided to talk a walk, see if he could calm his racing thoughts. When he saw the infirmary door open and Aang slip out, he decided to follow her, see where she went. He followed her down to the cargo hold. Wasn't this where Dr. Wu said she'd gone the day before looking for him? She slipped into the room with the statues. What did she want with the statues? When he reached the room he noticed the statues had been rearranged. They were now in a large circle. Who could have rearranged them? The damn things weighed almost a ton each! She walked up to the first statue and mimicked it. What the hell was she doing? She paused, smiling for a long moment. Osulf's eyes widened when he saw a figure form on the other side, in front of the matching statue. It looked like it was formed out of gusting wind. What was going on?

The Fire Lord began to perform the Dancing Dragon, the fiery figure becoming more obviously the Avatar with every new stance. The room seemed to be…_twisting_ almost. As the lovers matched the statues, he could see the stone walls being overlaid with metal ones. Across the room, he could see a man, clutching a door frame as he watched the Avatar.

Osulf stared in shock as the room began to warp, as stone walls began to overlay the metal ones. The figure made of wind gained more color and form with every statue Aang matched. Her eyes were still closed, she was still smiling. How could she match the statues so perfectly with her eyes closed? She was at the second to last statue now. Osulf was beginning to feel nauseous as the sensation of the room twisting only grew worse. Aang was at the final statue, and her fists met the other person's. Osulf could see him as clearly as he could see Aang. Both of them had had their eyes closed as they danced, and when their fists met, their eyes flew open. Aang's face lit up when she saw him. Apparently she knew him. Maybe this was the mysterious Zuko she had mentioned? She grabbed his hands, then stepped towards him and vanished. He fell to his knees as the other room abruptly vanished.

"Held og lykke og megen lykke, unge dame." ("Good luck and much happiness, young lady.")

Zuko finished the Dancing Dragon, his eyes flying open when fists bumped into his. Aang! She was finally home! Her face lit up when she recognized him. "Fire Lord Zuko! Take a step back, and bring the Avatar with you. Quickly! You are between the worlds; it's not safe to linger long!" The Sun Warrior Chief's words jerked Zuko out of his admiration of Aang. Grabbing her hands, he took a step backwards. She followed him, then threw herself into his arms and kissed him. He held her tight, kissing her until they both had to come up for air.

"Spirits, I've missed you, Aang."

"I've missed you, too, Zuko. I didn't know if I would ever see you again. I think that was the worst part of being banished. Not knowing if you and the others were even still alive, if taking away Ozai's bending was enough to save the world."

"I'll tell you all about what you missed on the way home. You can tell me what's been going on with you when we're there. That way you'll only have to tell it once."

The Sun Chief Warrior smiled at them as they walked out of the Chamber of the Sunstone. "You are a lucky man, Fire Lord Zuko. Avatar Aang, it is wonderful to see you again, and if you ever decide to leave him, I'm available." Zuko tightened his grip on her waist slightly as he spoke. Aang was _his._

"Um, thanks? I'll keep that in mind." He winked at her.

"The Masters want to see you. While you are talking to them, we'll find you some more comfortable clothing." Aang did look uncomfortable in the heavy clothing.

"You can calm down, Zuko. I have no intention of leaving you, for him or anyone else. Besides, I think he was joking. Remember when he told us we couldn't leave because we knew about the Masters?" They were walking up the stairs leading to Masters' caverns now. "I wonder what they want."

"Maybe to make sure you got home OK. We'll just have to find out when we get there. I'm sorry I got jealous, Aang."

"I know. It's OK. You're going to have to trust that I'm not going to leave you for the first person that comes along, though. I didn't wander for seven years through a frozen hellhole just to dump you."

The Masters came out to greet them as soon as they reached the platform. They were each carrying a large, oval ivory thing in their claws. Aang realized what the things were first.

"Eggs! One of them is female and they're showing us their eggs! The dragons aren't going to go extinct when Ran and Shaw die!"

"I wonder if the Sun Warriors are going to let us tell anyone else? I bet Uncle would love to hear about this."

"We'll have to ask them." The Masters, having displayed two of their precious eggs, turned and headed back inside their caverns. "I guess that means we are free to leave now? It's hot up here." Zuko didn't think so, but then he was used to this kind of weather. His clothes were also much more climate appropriate. He was dying to know where Aang had been, but he had agreed to wait until they were back home to hear about it.

"What did the Masters want to tell you? Aang, Ham Ghao will show where you can change." Ham Ghao did not seem thrilled about this. The Chief glared at him, and he led Aang off to where some women were waiting.

"They wanted to show their eggs. Once they had done that, they went back inside."

"Their eggs?" He sounded surprised. Zuko nodded and would have said more but he was distracted by Aang rejoining them. He had never seen her looking so beautiful. She was dressed simply, in an unadorned skirt and matching top, with a jeweled necklace, but somehow she made it seem more elegant than all the fancy robes in the Fire Nation. The Chief chuckled softly at his reaction. "I hope you realize just how lucky you are, and don't do something stupid to blow it with her," he said softly.

"Hi, Zuko. How do I look?"

"Um, er…" He blushed.

"He means you look beautiful, Avatar. He's just a little tongue-tied at the moment." Zuko shot the man a grateful look. Aang laughed.

"Thank you for your hospitality and assistance in helping me come home."

"It was our honor, Avatar Aang. We'll send a message when the eggs hatch."

"Can I tell my uncle that Ran and Shaw are having children?"

"Yes, you can. You two had better get going if you're going to make it back to the capital by nightfall."

Aang snuggled closer to Zuko while flying on Appa. "You promised to tell me what all happened while I was gone," she prompted him. He smiled at her.

"Everyone survived the Comet. Ty Lee joined the Kyoshi Warriors. Mai wanted to get back together with me, but she accepted it when I told her I had met you, and we're just good friends now. Uncle reopened his tea shop in Ba Sing Se. Azula…lost her grip on her senses after Katara and I defeated her, so she spent several years in a mental hospital. My mother returned to the Fire Nation after she learned Ozai had been dethroned, and I had been crowned in his place. Sokka and Suki broke up about two years after the comet. They remain good friends. Katara and Azula have been dating for about a year now. Toph and Sokka started dating about two years ago. Sokka's considering proposing to her, but that's supposed to be a secret."

"Then why did you tell me?"

"I wasn't going to. It just popped out." She had forgotten how cute he was when he was annoyed with himself. That little goatee he'd grown only helped matters.

"What about Momo?"

"He misses you. Although that certainly hasn't stopped him from enjoying life at the Fire Nation Palace. Appa lives there too. He has his own special stables."

"Thank you for taking such good care of them, Zuko."

"Of course, Aang."

"Did your uncle hate you like you feared he would?"

"No. He wasn't even angry with me, just sad that I had lost my way." That definitely sounded like Iroh. She rested her head on his chest, trying to decide how best to sum up seven years of wandering in the snow. His heartbeat was steady and comforting and she was soon asleep.

"Aang? We're almost there." She sat up, blinking slowly. Appa had barely touched down when they heard Toph shout that Zuko was back. Zuko jumped down and held up his hand to help her down.

"You're such a gentleman. Being Fire Lord is good for your manners," she teased.

"TWINKLETOES!" Toph's deafening shriek echoed around the courtyard. She raced across the courtyard and tackled Aang. "You've grown!"

"Well, of course I did. Did you think I was going to stay a twelve year old forever? You've gotten pretty tall yourself."

"Not as tall as you. Did you about me and Sokka?"

"Zuko told me you two were finally dating."

"Huh? What do you mean, 'finally'?

"Toph had a crush on Sokka almost from the time she joined the group. How did you not notice?"

"Sokka never noticed, either. I think it's a guy thing." Katara and Sokka reached them. Katara hugged her tightly. Sokka gave her a hug as soon as Katara let go.

"What's a guy thing?"

"Being oblivious when someone has a crush on them."

"Considering how long Zuko was completely unaware of your crush on him, it's highly possible. That or Zuko and Sokka are just clueless idiots."

"Katara!"

"You don't think I'm a clueless idiot, do you, Aang?"

"You have your moments. You both do."

"All right, Twinkles. Spill the beans. Where have you been all this time?"

"Wandering around in the snow. I'll tell you the entire whole story later. Right now I want a good long bath."

"You were wandering in the snow for seven years?"

"Yep."

"I'll take you to my room so you can get that bath, Aang." An hour later, bathed and dressed in Air Nomad clothing, Aang followed the servant to the dining room. She appreciated the fact that Zuko had gone to all the trouble of having Air Nomad clothing made in a variety of sizes so that she would be able to find something that fit. The only people in the dining room were her friends. Good. She didn't really want to have to tell her story to a bunch of strangers. Or Azula.

"All right, Twinkles, we've waited long enough. Tell us!"

"Can she sit down first, Toph?"

"I suppose." Aang took the seat had saved for her right next to him. "Now that you're sitting down, start from the beginning." Zuko opened his mouth to protest, but Aang shushed him.

"I disappeared from Ember Island because I was summoned by a creature called a Lion Turtle. While there I talked to some of my past lives, trying to figure out a way to defeat Ozai without having to kill him. Roku told me that I could take away his bending, but that would be a price since it went against the order of the world. I wouldn't be able to see Zuko for seven years. I thought this meant that I would be blind for seven years or something. If I'd known that meant I'd disappear again I probably wouldn't have done it. When I took away Ozai's bending, there was a bright blue light that shot up to sky. The light took me with it.

"I woke up freezing cold in a snow bank. I used Firebending to keep myself warm until I could find a way to keep warm. There was no plant life I could find, so I had to teach myself how to hunt, how to cook the animals I caught, and how to make clothes that would keep me from freezing. I met spirits who helped me with a lot of that.

"I saw some creatures that looked like Bosco, only they were pure white. They were mean, too. I avoided them as best as I could. I also met a spirit the others called a 'Windigo.' The Windigo was mean too, so I avoided that as best I could. He was afraid of my Firebending so that helped." Aang had decided to gloss over how close she had come to freezing to death on multiple occasions. Or how exactly she'd learned the white bears and the Windigo were dangerous. "The spirits I met told me how to make special goggles that would shield from the glare of the sun on the snow and ice. They also taught me how to navigate by the stars. I have no idea where I was, but none of the stars were the same. It was also night for months at a time. The spirits told me that was normal. Most of the spirits I met seemed to be the spirits of people who had died. The Windigo was the only nature spirit I met. I met another spirit, called an Adlet. The other spirits didn't seem to like him very much. The Adlet kept me alive while I tried to learn how to hunt, and to keep myself safe. He would bring me food, and guard me while I slept. If I slept too long and started to shiver he would wake me up. And you can stop looking so jealous, Zuko. Nothing happened. He was just nice to me.

"After a while I was having trouble keeping a firm grasp on my sanity. I was also having trouble remembering you guys, or who I was. The Adlet helped me remember you guys by asking questions. Lots of questions. The other spirits asked questions too. It got easier to answer their questions after a while, because I remembered you guys better." She'd also decided not to mention the fact that she had started mumbling 'I am Aang. I am the Avatar. I am the last Airbender. I defeated Fire Lord Ozai. I love a Firebender named Zuko and he loves me' under her breath whenever the Adlet or other spirits weren't around. She could tell by their faces that they were worried enough about her.

"I found a huge ship a few days before I came back home. There were two men standing on deck, although I couldn't understand a word they were saying. I frightened one of the men by jumping onto the deck. He pulled out a strange weapon and shot me. The other man got me help, though. I woke a while later in a hospital on board the ship. The healer spoke the same language that I did, although he was the only one who could. I explored the ship and found statues that were exact replicas of the ones in the Sun Warrior City. I put them in the correct order using my Earthbending, and then did the Dancing Dragon the next night. When I was done, Zuko was right there in front of me. He pulled me back into our world. If you want to know what happened after that, you can ask him." Everyone just stared at her for a long moment in shocked silence. Then Toph spoke up.

"You have the weirdest adventures when you disappear, Twinkles."


End file.
